1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an improved sports shoe and, more particularly, to an improved sports shoe having retractable cleats designed to reduce injuries.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art to provide shoes with deep tread design to increase traction and increase performance in various types of sports. In sports such as baseball, football, soccer and the like, it is often desirable to provide shoes with cleats to further increase traction. One drawback associated with cleats is the shorter cleats produce reduced traction, while the longer cleats tend to increase discomfort by transferring energy to more specific areas of the foot. More importantly, prior art cleats tend to increase injuries by preventing the foot from moving when unnatural pressure is applied to the leg, knee or hip and the cleats prevent the foot from moving and releasing the pressure. As a result, prior art cleats are often associated with injuries to the leg, ankle and foot.
While it is known in the art to provide removable spikes to allow a user to adjust the size of spikes to the appropriate sports surface conditions, all prior art spikes tend to increase injuries below the waist by preventing movement of the foot when the foot or leg is struck. Even if the wearer attempts to release pressure on the foot and move the foot laterally, the spikes often stay imbedded in the ground, preventing movement and leading to injury.
Another drawback associated with the prior art is the damage athletes experience with prior art cleats. To engage the ground prior art cleats are rigid, transferring much of the shock of ground contact to the athlete. Additionally, the increased wear on the athlete associated with prior art cleats limiting movement when the athlete is struck reduces athlete longevity. It would, therefore be desirable to provide a shock absorbing cleat system which allowed athlete movement after the athlete has been struck.
Yet another drawback associated with the prior art is that prior art cleats are often more difficult to lift than regular shoes. The engagement of the cleats with the ground often causes additional friction which resists the athlete's ability to raise the shoe. While this frictional resistance is often minor, over a period of time, the resistance can affect an athlete's ability to perform. It would therefore be desirable to provide a cleat which reduced the force required to lift a cleat from the ground. It would additionally be desirable to provide a cleat system which resiliently biased the cleats out of the ground and provided the athlete with a resilient upward “push” on the shoe.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a shoe which provided the traction associated with cleats, while providing the injury reduction associated with shoes having no cleats. It would be most desirable to provide a cleat system which provided the additional traction associated with cleats “on demand” and reduced traction when not needed. The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.